It appears that Microsoft are planning to release a new version of the Xbox One to compete with the PS4K Neo. Sources suggest that an Xbox One Slim will be out this year and it may include 4K support, and then late next year Microsoft will ship the new super powered Xbox One, codenamed Scorpio.
The rumour is that the new console will have performance of approximately 6 teraflops, thrashing the pants off the PS4 Neo which is rumoured to be around 4.4 teraflops. Like Neo, Scorpio will run current gen Xbox One games and may even support Oculus Rift.
The two new consoles are said to be part of Microsoft’s strategy codenamed “Project Helix”, which will converge Xbox with Windows 10. This strategy includes a move to more regular hardware updates in the same vein as Apple who release new version of their products every year or two.
Xbox top dog Phil Spencer hinted at this move back in March, “I look at the ecosystem that a console sits in and I think that it should have the capability of more iteration on hardware capability,” he said. “What I’m saying is as hardware innovations happen we want to be able to embrace those in the console space, and make those available and maybe not have to wait seven or eight years for things to happen.”
We’re almost certain to see the PS4K Neo announced at E3, will Microsoft announce the Scorpio as well? If it’s not out till late 2017 then revealing the console too early will damage sales of the current Xbox One, so perhaps not.
For me this is all starting to get a bit silly, the reason I have a console is so I don’t have to upgrade it every year or two, if that starts being the case we might as well just buy PCs and be done with it, what do you think?
Avenger
I agree, we don’t want any of the consoles having regular updates like this. Sure it may be easier and more revolutionary to release regular updated hardware for the company, especially with how fast technology is advancing, but for us customers it’s just going to be a discriminated cluster-f*** of a mess.
It’s bad enough just having the one update, and we might as well just call that PS5/XB2 because the split in the user base is just going to be same.
I really don’t want it to happen, I can’t see any good coming of it.
MrYd
This makes even less sense for MS than it does when Sony does it.
Who is going to develop games that take advantage of it? With the XBone failing to sell, why would anyone put any effort into improving their games on the new hardware? Just spend the time and money on the XBone version and hope you can make some money from it.
If you started developing a game years ago before MS failed in such a big way, you’re not going to want to dump more money into it.
So the only benefit will be maybe an improved framerate. Possibly bumping up the resolution to 1080 on those games that were doing less. Which might not even be possible on some games without more work. I guess if the resolution was fixed at 900p, it needs updating. If it was a dynamic resolution, it might automatically improve.
Who’s going to buy the new hardware though? The existing owners? I bet they’ll be rushing out to buy a new console a couple of years after their current one. People without a console? Most are going to buy a PS4 anyway, but those that don’t would surely be more likely to go for the cheaper option, and not a fancy new XBone?
If the rumour turns out to be true, at least we’ll know MS aren’t just abandoning the XBox now. Throw more money at it and hope they can turn things around (which is probably not going to happen). Probably means they’ll be spending even more money on buying exclusives now too.
And do we have to sneak in Simpsons references as several other places seem to be doing? Something about hammocks?
Avenger
A little biased are we?
Starman
The ps4’s larger install base works against it Imo. Already got a ps4? Why bother upgrading when you can get the new xbox instead and play games you’ve missed out on and the new games too? If we believe the leaks there will be no exclusives on Neo, so you’ll not miss out on anything there.
MrYd
So why buy this new XBox when you can buy the existing, cheaper version? Same applies to the new PS4.
It seems unlikely that anyone who hasn’t bought a PS4 or XBone yet is going to rush out and buy the new version. If they buy anything, it’s more likely to be the cheaper, current version.
Of course, given it’ll be 3+ years since the original launch, prices might get odd. New versions at current prices, and original models getting a price drop? Again, what incentive is there to buy the new one? A small improvement in some games?
It’s just going to end up increasing sales of the existing models, and a few sales of the new ones. All seems completely pointless, and not how consoles are supposed to work.
Starman
Because graphics, performance etc. Remember that survey that asked why users chose ps4 over xbox and resolution was the top reason. http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2015/02/26/the-top-reason-for-choosing-ps4-over-xbox-one-is-resolution-according-to-nielsen/
MrYd
But when people are faced with a choice between a few extra FPS, or a proper resolution (in those cases of a dynamic resolution, not some fixed, lower resolution), and saving 50 quid? (Just to guess at a random price difference there)
People are going to go for the cheaper option, aren’t they?
Or if you want to believe that survey, there’s one less reason to buy a PS4 if the new XBox catches up on the resolution. But there’s also 40 million reasons to buy a PS4 instead.
Maybe it’ll just drag out this generation a few years longer than it would otherwise last. The PS4 could get up to PS2 level sales and the XBone could get to something quite respectable. Probably not 360 levels, but something reasonable.
hornet1990
Price isn’t the only consideration for some people. I’ve been waiting on MS adding the OTA TV recording functionality to Xbox so I can then buy one to replace the heap of junk DVR I’ve got now, and as an added bonus get to play the exclusive titles I’ve missed out on.
With this news I’m more inclined to wait for the next Xbox iteration, still get it for the primary reason of replacing my DVR but also switch my multi-platform gaming to it as it’ll be the more powerful machine against my current PS4. Price doesn’t even begin to factor into my reasoning… Sure I could get the current model Xbox but why not wait a year and get something even better that’ll serve as my primary gaming platform for the next 3 or 4 years?
Starman
@MrYd they chose resolution, not price, so not sure where you’re going with that reasoning.
rept0n
This doesn’t make sense – why beef up the hardware so much if you’re not going to alienate your current install base with games that can really take advantage of 6 teraflops?
It’ll have to cost more than the Neo, which will get to market sooner, and already has a stronger install-base.
The Neo makes sense to me if Sony are using it to be the go-to 4K player.
This strategy worked for DVD, and establised Blu Ray, and with 4K Blu Ray starting to come out this all ties together – I view the performance increase in games a plus, but glad that it’s not too much of a jump to encourage developers to want to utilise it more than just getting closer to 1080p 60fps.
camdaz
The reason for the new hardware is that AMD is closing their 24nm production line to concentrate on 14nm and less. If Sony and MS were to stick with 24nm they would have to pay for their own production lines.
So as well as faster chips it’s also cheaper to go to the 14nm chips.
camdaz
The original PS4 uses 28nm planar transistor not 24nm, Neo will use 14-nanometer FinFET transistor.
sparkyscrum
Two new Xbox’s? One way to stop sales now dead if this is true. Not only do you stop people not that fussed on the current console but also anyone who wants to jump across. Why buy a new Xbox when it’ll be redundant in a few months?
Starman
If it sticks to the alleged rules Sony have with the Neo (no exclusive games, content, etc) then it helps not alienate existing users by leaving them behind, though developers likely won’t be pleased with more work for no extra reward. Unless the the Neo/Scorpio versions are separate and cost a bit more.
Tuffcub
I have a nasty suspicion that Neo/Scorpion enhanced games may cost more. I hope not, but develoeprs do have to recoup the extra costs somehow.
hornet1990
Can’t really see why, in many cases (particularly on Xbox) they already have developed the higher resolution meshes/textures and/or better shaders for the PC version. In most cases games are developed with much higher detail resources and then they are reduced to suit each platform anyway. All they’d probably do is change the settings they use (4x higher res texture, do 16 iterations rather 8 for a closer approximation etc) or switch resources used depending on which platform the game is running on so its not a major piece of work.
Or equally do almost nothing and achieve 1080p60 on Neo/Scorpio rather than 30fps on base platform with exactly the same visuals… all depends on what the goals of the developers are.
Avenger
I don’t think that will be the case if a single game is supposed to have a neo mode and a normal mode to run. Unless they want to be right bastards and raise the price for everyone.
TSBonyman
It’ll be interesting to see what happens down the line, on the one hand the Neo/Scorpio will probably require some extra coding to take into account the different clock cycles and memory but also they can’t continue charging full price for ‘old-gen’ games alongside ‘next-gen’ games.
And if it isn’t ‘old-gen’ vs ‘next-gen’ then what’s the point of it at all.
TSBonyman
I’ve never subscribed to the notion of upgrading a mobile phone regularly (still happily using an iphone 3gs) and i’m not interested in a half-arsed console upgrade a couple of years before a proper generational upgrade is available. And when the proper generational upgrade does arrive, it’s launch appeal will be decimated by the prospect of another iteration to follow soon afterwards.
The price of PS4 and XB1 will take a huge drop once the new models launch so picking up an alternate console and a bunch of preowned games will be an attractive prospect and might make the wait for a real upgrade less painful – although that won’t contribute anything to the industry’s coffers.
Andrewww
I think there’s quite a few pros and cons, and I’m not sure I won’t be tempted to upgrade my PS4, if it promises less stuttering games, improved resolution and better PSVR.
As I live on planet PlayStation, an XBone 1.5 would not interest me. But I hope it would strengthen MS’ position current gen, so that Sony would have to make an effort again.
hazelam
“scorpio”?
there’s only one thing that comes to mind when i see that name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QEsjd1WZuY
JR.
Wasn’t the cloud supposed to make the Xbox one more powerful though? 13 times more powerful if I remember right.
So is this new super Xbox one going to be 400 times more powerful with the cloud. Or was the cloud bs?
The Von Braun
This could backfire, badly for MS, as XB1 owners already not that happy it seems with the exclusives popping up on PC….
They’d already been told that:The Cloud, new version of Direct X and the unlocking of another Core, were all going to bring about a new generation of better looking games as more and more power of the console was released for developers to tap into and now, it would appear MS are admitting defeat and that the gamble that Sony with the PS4 might be (slightly) more powerful (on paper) would only ship with at best 4G fast Ram, where as the XB1 with 8 G, would be better platform for developers, wasn’t a wise one, as Sony shipped it with 8 G and thus the pointless 900P vs 1080P arms race began.
The whole terraflop crap claims i’ve not seen since Sony started pulling such meaningless statements out for PS3 over the 360.
PS3 split Ram vs 360’s unified Ram made life difficult for developers as was.
If, as i suspect, we are seeing newer hardware, just to make ‘workable’ Home VR a reality on console, i suspect a lot of people will think, well sod it, if they are going to release new hardware so early, compared to previous generations, why not just jump to PC as is? you’ll get the Xbox games and a far more straightforward upgrade path, than buying entire new, stop-gap based console, hardware wise.
PS4 Neo and whatever MS platform ends up being called are not going to offer true 4K games are they?
Pipe dream to expect otherwise.
How much does an equiv.PC cost to run todays games in 60 FPS at 4K resolution?